So, I felt like showing off my tanks a bit after a big switcheroo in which many things have changed. Please excuse the heavy picture load.

1) My 90 litre sorority/community NPT as of Monday night, on its one-week birthday.
2) The week before, when I first set it up.
3) My 60 litre Amazon biotope when I first set it up, looking somewhat underwhelming.
4) The same tank as of Monday (scuse the filthy substrate, there was a hiccup with the filter and it spewed snot everywhere). The water has darkened due to the IAL. Normally the sand is cleaner.
5) The pond, in all its reflecty, poorly photographed glory. Eventually I want to remove the tacky decorations, but the fish like it and its too cold for plants at the moment.
6) Fishy, a 10-inch comet who inhabits the pond.
7) Fred and George, his 2.5-3 inch shubunkin buddies.
8) Daenerys, my dragon HM female, looking a little pale.
9) Cersei, my longfin blue VT, who is beautiful in real life but not very photogenic.
10) Catelyn, my red HMPK girl (and alpha) with my male kili in the background.
11) Arya, my little black HMPK, who is stripey because she doesn't like Catelyn, the camera, the killifish or me.
12) My male killifish (fundolopanchax gardneri gardneri) who is fat and has no name and two wives.
13) One of the wives, smiling at me from her hiding spot.
14) One of the peppered cories (I can't tell if it is Crispin AJ or Lord Fraser of Tully-Belton.

I think you're right - channoides just look like the best option all round! After I've got my tax return I'll get in touch with Jodi-Lea. :)
The goldvine is all sunked now (and my sand is cleaner!). My killies are the fattest little things I have ever seen. They are adorable.